Typewriting machine



1,448,753 A. G. F. KUROWSKI TYPEWRITING MACHIN E Filed Sept. 9, 1919 2 sheets-sheet 1 Mur. 20, 1923,

A. G. F. KUROWSKI TYPEWRITING MACHI N E Filed Sept. 9, 1919 2 sheets-sheet 2 //71/e/7for.-

Patented Mar. 20, 1923.

warren s'raras FFlfiE.

PATENT ALFRED G. F. KUROWSKI, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB TO UNDERWOOD TYPEWRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

Application filed September 9, 1919. Serial No. 322,630.

To (IZZ- whom it may concerm:

Be it known that I, ALFRED G. F. Knnow- SKI, a citizen of the United States, formerly a citizen of Germany residing in Brooklyn Borough, in the county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in T ypewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to typewriting machines, and is especially adapted) 'for use in connection with typing entries in systems of book-keeping, or for making entries upon a' plurality of other sorts .of work-sheets.

In making such entries, it is frequently desirable to be able to type; entries upon a plurality of short work-sheets, like short bill heads, the number of sheets or the thickness of the paper making the pack awkwardly thick when interleaved with carbonsheets, so that it isgdifiicult to pass the pack around the platen of an ordinary typewriting machine. \Vhen making entries on such and other sheets, it is often desired to simulta neously make an entry on a record sheet as a carbon copy of the entry made upon the outside work-sheet, and it is often difiicult to keep the record sheet undisturbed between the removal of one pack of worksheets and the insertion and final adjustment of the next pack. According to the present invention, any or all of [these difiiculties may be overcome by simple contrivances adapted to be applied without" great modification to an ordinary typewriting machine, the invention being herein illustrated as applied to a somewhat modified Underwood typewritin r machine.

n the form of the invention herein disclosed, the usual Underwood platen may be shiftable in the platen frame, which is advantageously provided with slots for supporting and guiding the platen axle to enable the platen to be moved upwardly, and to some extent rearwardly, away from the feed-rolls and the paper apron. In this form, the invention provides means whereby the needed space may be obtained between the platen and the feed-rolls for inserting as large a bunch or pack of work-sheets and carbon-sheets as can ordinarily be written upon by the stroke of an ordinary type. The rearward movement also serves to make more room at the front of the platen while the pack is being inserted. It should be understood that the provision for upward and rearward movement away from the paper-apron and feed-rolls is advantageous in inserting stiff work-sheets or cards as well as packs of work-sheets.

To provide means for collating and aligning such or other work-sheets, there may be provided a table above the platen which may be connected to shift with the platen if the platen itself shifts in the manner described. To enable worksheets to be gaged or collated upon this table, an end or side gage may be provided which has an upper extension lying back of the table, so that the whole gage is slidable along the table, but may be locked in position by a simple device, such as a finger-piece, which is springmounted upon said extension, and has a cam-faced arm adapted to be swung against the rear side of the table. The finger-piece which controls the gage may project upwardly above the tab-1e to a position easily reached, but nevertheless clear of any work work-sheet which may extend above the table.

To enable a record sheet to be independently held while the pack or other work-sheets are adjusted upon the table, the table may be provided with resilient fingers projecting below it and adapted to lie upon the face of the platen above the printing point, with the result that if the platen is raised to permit a work-sheet or sheets to be passed around it, the record sheet may be detained in position while the work-sheet or sheets are inserted. The table is preferably adapted to be adjusted relatively to the platen, and the fingers may also be adjustable. It will be found convenient to have the fingers fast to the gage or gages rather than to the table, since this permits them to be brought to the margin of the inner work-sheet or record sheet, with the result that the fingers may usually run upon a blank column of the paper.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an Underwood typewriting machine carriage modified to include one form of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a face view of the table.

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view in section to show the adjustable mounting of the table.

Figure 4 is a perspective View of a swinging bracket for moving the platen and the collating table.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic side view, largely in section, showing the parts in position after a pack of work-sheets has been inserted in the machine.

Figure 6 is a similar view, showing the platen lifted to permit the insertion of the pack of work-sheets, the work-sheets being gaged, and the record sheet being held against accidental displacement.

The platen 10 is provided with an axle 11 which passes through slots 12 in the ends 13 and 14 of a shift-frame, which may be carried in part by the usual arms 15*. A. record sheet 15 may be inserted around the platen 10 by carrying it up from the rear over a paper-table 16, which is adapted to guide it nearly horizontally to the bottom of the platen 10 over an apron 17, so that it engages feed-rolls 18- and 19. The platen may be rotated by the usual finger wheel 20 or line-space lever 21 to advance the record sheet past the printing point, indicated diagrammatically by the type-bar 22, and upwardly. Before the record sheet 15 reaches the top of the platen, it is guided beneath fingers 23 having slightly out-turned ends 24 to catch the end of the record sheet.

The record sheet may then pass rearwardly and bend down over the top 26 of a fender 27. The fender 27 is adapted to guide the record sheet and other work-sheets inserted from the rear, so that they will strike the platen substantially at its bottom as they are ad vanced from the rear.

- When it is desired to insert a thick pack comprising work-sheets 28 and carbon-sheets 29 outside of the record sheet 15, the pack may be inserted between the record sheet 15 and the rolled-over lower end 30 of the paper-table 16, so that the record sheet guides the pack beneath it to the bottom of the platen. In order to give the necessary space to enable the pack 28, 29 to pass up freely between -the feed-rolls 18 and 19 and the platen, and in front of the scales 31 and usual type guide (not shown) at the front of the platen, a'finger-piece 32 may be actuated to draw the platen axle llrearwardly in the slots 12 to carry the platen upwardly and rearwardly along a line nearly a radius to the front feed-roll 19. This gives a maximum space for the pack 28, 29 to clear whatever it is likely to be interfered with. It

should be noted that, by placing the feedrolls 18 and 19 of each pair close together at the front portion of the platen, the extent of bending of work-sheets around the platen is very much diminished.

To enable the platen to be shifted in this way by the finger-piece, the platen axle'is journaled in swinging arms 33 pivoted at 34 to the respective adjacent ends 13 and 14. Said arms move together, because each is pivoted at 35 to a link 36, which, in turn, is pivoted at 37 to a rock arm 38 fast upon a'shaft 39 extending across the platen frame and journaled in the ends13 and 14. The

behind the pivot screw 44 upon which the handle is pivoted. The connections are such. that when the handle 32 is'in its Figure 5 rearward position, a bend 45 in it rests upon :1 lug 46 fast in the adjacent frame 14, and thereby prevents the rock arm 38 from bein swung downward by the strong springs 4 which encircle the shaft and normally swing it into the Figure 5 position. When the parts rest in the Figure 5 position, the platen is locked at its forward limit of movement, since the link 36 drops slightly below dead center thus enabling the link and rock arm 38 to withstand the severe blows of the type strokes.

To enable the finger-piece or handle 32, to lift the rock arm extension 40 with the minimum friction, there is provided a lug 48 which is adapted to strike the arm 38 to lift it until near the end of the forward movement of the finger-piece when a cam 48 engages the extension 40 just prior to the dropping of the extension into the notch 49. It is found that the usual line-space detent 49 may hold the platen against turning both in its normal position and in its retracted position. The detent is pivoted as usual at 50 upon the end 14, but somewhat lower down if desired, and is held by the usual spring 51 against the usual linesppce wheel 52 which is fast upon the platen ax e.

A collating table 25 is shown as provided with slidable members 53 upon which the spring fingers 23 may be adjustably mounted (Figure 2). The members 53 may comprise a side gage 56 and a leading end gage 57, each formed from the turned-up edge of the sheet-metal of which the members 53 are made. The upper end of each member or gage 53 is bent around behind the table 25, where it comprises bent-up ears 58, adapted to serve as pivots for fingerpieces 59, said finger-pieces comprising bentover cam ends 60, adapted to strike a bar 61 in back of the table 25, the cam 60 extending through an opening in the rear extension 62 of the member 53. Normally the cam 60 is urged against the back of the bar 61 by a spring 63 coiled around the pivot shaft 64:, upon which the finger-piece 59 is journaled. The bar or plate 61 tends to stiffen the table 25 and comprises a cut-away portion 61 around which the end 62 of the extension 62 of the gage member 53 is bent.

To cause the table 25 to be retracted at the retraction of the platen, the table is adjustably fast upon upper extensions 66 of the arms 33 (Figure 4;), saidextensions comprising fiat ends 67, each of which includes a long slot 68. To hold the table on the ends 67, each end of the table is provided with a screw 69 which passes through the adjacent slot 68 and is threaded into depressions 70 of the table which are bent to bring the screw 69 below the surface of the "table 25; the depressions being such as to permit the extreme end of the ends 67 to pass beneath the bed of the table.

It will be observe that sheets 28 may be adjusted upon the table 25 in either of its ositions, and the table may be readily ad- ]usted for height since the screws 69 stand with their heads at the front of the table. To enable work-sheets to be readily and accurately, adjusted to their positions without readjusting the table 25, the body of the table may be provided with ruled lines 73, in the body of the metal at line-space intervals. If desired the lines 73 may be utilized for offsetting work-sheets one above the other, by line-space intervals on observing the lines 73 beyond the margins of the work-sheets. To give the members 53 the necessary guiding at the top, each may include the bent-over portion 74, on each side of the end gage 57. The end gages 57 may be so low that when. a work-sheet is advanced after being gaged thereagainst, the work sheets may be advanced over them. When the work-sheets 28 have been gaged with reference to the record-sheet 15 in the manner seen in Figure 6, the handle 32 may be swung rearwardly (Figure 5) to clamp them between the feed-rolls and the platen prior to typing. During this movement of the handle 32, the leading edge gages 57 may assist in bringing the work-sheets 28 to the printing point by pushing downwardly on them.

To enable the thick pack of work-sheets and carbons 28, 29 to be readily inserted from the front, if desired, the wing scale 31 may be of the form shown, in which it is provided with a deflecting wing at the top adapted to direct work-sheets rearwardly when coming down from above. It will be seen that the rearward movement of the platen, as the axle 11 is moved away from its normal position, serves to provide more room at the front of the platen to facilitate the insertion of the pack of Work-sheets 28.

When the bottoms of the Work-sheets thus inserted have passed the wing scales, they are guided rearwardly by the apron 17, and, if long, may slide back over the paper-table 16. To make sure that the work-sheets will not catch when thus inserted, the apron slightly overlaps the paper table at 75 (F igure 5). To enable work-sheets inserted from the rear to clear this overlap, there is provided a deflecting hump 76 adapted to carry the leading ends of the sheets clear of it. It will be. evident that, when a stiff work-sheet or card is thrust downwardly and rearwardly over the tops of the wing-scales .31, the platen being in the position shown in Figure 6, and the work-sheet rests on the front and rear edges of the paper-apron 17, the work-sheet will be substantially tangent to the platen.

It will be noted that the machine is well adapted to be used for condensed billing. When the last entry on a short work-sheet or bill has been typed, the lineespaee lever may be actuated once or twice, to separate the end of that entry from the beginning of the next. Then the platen may be drawn back, and the bill withdrawn, the record sheet being detained in place upon the platen. The new short work-sheets or bills are then inserted and gagged, the platen drawn forward and the entries typed. The above-mentioned actuation of the line-space lever separates the last entry on the first bill from the first entry on the second, but the unused bottom lines on neither bill appear in any form on the record sheet.

The fender 27 and the paper table 16 may be carried by a carriage frame 77 guided on a rail 78 which underlies the paper table 16 and is secured to a main frame 79.

A guard 80, as shown in patent to Helmond, No. 1,302,161, of April 29, 1919, may be used to prevent the work-sheets from fallin" outwardly from the platen.

variations may be resorted to Within the scope of the invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen hav ing an axle and a paper-apron beneath the platen, of a platen-frame comprising slotted end-plates in which the axle may slide upwardly and rearwardly to carry the platen away from the apron, swinging arms in which said axle is journaled, said arms being pivoted in said plates, a shaft behind the platen, rock-arms on said shaft, links connecting the rock-arms to the swinging arms, and means, including a spring, normally holding said rock-arms substantially at dead center to lock-the platen in printing posithe combination With a revoluble platen having an axle and a paper-apron beneath the platen, of a platen-frame comprising slotted end-plates in which the axle may slide to carry the platen away from the apron, swinging arms pivoted in said plates, below the platen, a work-sheet adjusting device mounted upon said arms to shift with the platen, a locking-device normally holding the platen in position adjacent the apron, and a finger-piece adapted to shift the platen away from the apron.

3. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen having an axle and a paper-apron beneath the platen, of a platen-frame comprising slotted end-plates in which the axle may slide to carry the platen away from the apron, swinging arms in which said platen is journaled, said arms being pivoted in said plates, a collating table connected to said arms to shift with the platen, a finger-piece, and finger-piece-actuated means to shift the platen by sliding the axle in the slots.

4. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen having an axle and a paper-apron beneath the platen, of a platen-frame comprising slotted end-plates in which the axle may slide to carry the platen away from the apron, swinging arms pivoted in said plates, an adjusting table above the platen connected to the arms to shift with the platen, a device for detaining upon the platen clear of the table a work-sheet so that. the latter will shift with the platen, and a finger-piece adapted to shift the platen away from the apron.

5. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen having an axle and a paper-apron beneath the platen, of a platen-frame comprising slotted end-plates in which the axle may slide to carry the platen away from the apron, swinging arms pivoted in said plates, an adjust- .ing table above the platen connected to the arms to shift with the platen, means for adjusting the table relatively to the platen, and a finger-piece adapted to shift the platen away from the apron.

6. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen havlng an axle and a paper-apron beneath the platen, of a platen-frame comprising slotted end-plates in which the axle may slide upwardly and rearwardly to carry the platen away from the apron, swinging arms in which said axle is journaled, said arms being pivoted in said plates, a paper-table behind the platen and beneath it adapted to guide work-sheets to the apron, so that the slots guide the platen away from the table, a shaft above the table and behind the platen, rock-arms on said shaft, links pivotally connecting theswinging arms and rockarms, and a device normally holding said links ubstantially at dead-center to lock the platen in printing position.

7. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen having an axle and a paper-apron beneath the platen, of a platen-frame comprising slotted endplates in which the axle may slide to carry the platen away from the apron, swinging arms pivoted in said plates, extensions of said swinging arms, a paper-table adj ustably fast to said extensions, means for locking the platen adjacent the apron, and a finger-piece for shifting the platen away from the apron by said arms.

8. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen, of a paper-table therefor extending backwardly from the bottom of the platen nearly horizontally to avoid unnecessary bending of work-sheets introduced over said table, feedrolls to co-operate with the platen at the lower front portion thereof to hold worksheets thereagainst, the portions of the worksheets at the rear of said feed-rolls being supported by said paper-table, and means for shifting the platen upwardly and rearwardly away from the rolls and table.

9. In a front-strike typewriting' machine, the combination with a revoluble platen, of a platen-frame having ends, a paper-table adapted to guide work-sheets nearly horizontally to the bottom of the platen, feedrolls at the lower front portion of the platen to press work-sheets thereagainst, said worksheets being supported at the rear of said feed-rolls by said paper-table, swingingarms journaled in said frame to swing the platen upwardly and rearwardly away from the table and the rolls, links connected to said swinging arms, a rock-shaft, and rockarms fast upon said shaft and connectedto .the combination with a platen-frame, of a platen in said frame, a paper-apron beneath said platen and extending" upwardly around the lower front portion thereof, wing-scales adjacent the front of the platen in its normal position and having bent-over tops, and means to shift said platen in said frame upwardly and rearwardly fro-m said apron,the arrangement of parts being such that a stiff work-sheet resting on the front edge of the apron and on the rear edge thereof is substantially tangent to the platen and passes over the tops of the wing-scales and adjacent thereto.

11. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen, of a platen-frame having ends. a paper-table adapted to guide work-sheets nearly horirolls at the front of the platen, swinging arms journaled in said frame adapted to carry the platen upwardly and rea'rwardly away from the table and the rolls, links connected to said swinging arms, a rock-shaft, rock-arms. fast upon said shaft and connected to saidlinks and adapted to swing the platen to and from the rolls and table, an extension of one rock arm, and a fingerpiece adapted to engage said extension to swing the shaft to withdraw the platen.

12. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a platen, a platen-frame, a paper-apron supported in said frame at the bottom of said platen, a carriage in which said platenframe is mounted for substantially vertical case-shift movement, and a substantially horizontal paper-table mounted on the carriage and having its forward edge extending beneath the rear edge of the paperapron, so that the bottom end of a worksheet inserted downwardly at the front of the platen will pass from the paper-apron to the paper-table without interference, and the paper-apron may move upwardly with the platen-frame when the latteris shifted to upper-case position.

13. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a platen, a platen-frame, a paperapron supported in said frame at the bottom of said platen, a carriage in which said platen-frame is mounted for substantially vertical case-shift movement, and aFsubstantially horizontal paper-table mounted on the carriage and having its forward edge extending beneath the rear edge of the paperapron, so that the bottom end of a worksheet inserted downwardly at the front of the platen will pass from the paper-apron to the paper-table without interference, and the paper-apron may move upwardly with the platen-frame when the latter is shifted to upper-case position, said paper-table being provided, adjacent the rear edge of the paper-apron. with a deflecting hump to direct the leading end of a work-sheet inserted from the rear over the rear edge of the paper-apron when the platen-frame is in its normal lower-case position. 4

14. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a platen-frame and a revoluble platen, of a paper-apron at the lmttom of the platen to hold work-sheets against the lower front portion of the platen, apaper-table guiding work-sheets nearly horizontally to the apron to be directed by the latter against the platen, a carriage including said frame and table, a rail for the carriage beneath the table, and a deflector behind the platen adapted to deflect worksheets at the rear downwardly to cause them paper-table guiding work-sheets nearly horito be introduced along said paper-table.

15. In a typewriting machine. in combin tion, a platen, a platen-frame. a paperapron supported in said frame at the bottom of said platen, a carriage in which said platen-frame is mounted for substantially vertical case-shift movement, a substantially horizontal paper-table mounted on the carriage and having its forward edge extending beneath the rear edge of the paperapron, so that the bottom end of a worksheet inserted downwardly at the front of the platen will pass from the paper-apron to the paper-table without interference, and

' the paper-apron may move upwardly with the platen-frame when the latter is shifted to upper-case position, and means whereby the platen may be shifted relatively to said platen-frame to facilitate the insertion of work-sheets between the platen and the paper-apron.

16. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a platen, a platen-frame, a paperapron supported in said frame at the bottom of said platen, a carriage in which said platen-frame is mounted for substantially vertical case-shift movement, a horizontal paper-table mounted on the carriage and having its forward edge extending beneath the rear edge of the paper-apron, so that the bottom end of the work-sheet inserted downwardly at the front of the platen will pass from the paper-apron to the paper-table without interference, and the paper-apron may move upwardly with the platen-frame when the latter is shifted to upper-case position, feed-rolls toco-operate withthe platen at the lower front portion thereof through openings in said paper-apron, and means to shift said platen with reference to the platen-frame upwardly and rearwardly away from said feed-rolls and paper-apron to facilitate the insertion of work-sheets between the platen and the feed-rolls and paper-apron.

17. In a front strike typewriting machine, the combination with a platen-frame and a revoluble platen, of a paper-apron and pressure-rolls at the bottom of the platen, a paper-table guiding work-sheets nearly horizontally to the apron, a carriage including said frame and table, a rail for the carriage beneath the table, said platen being shiftable relatively to said carriage and away from said pressure-rolls, a. collating table above the platen and shiftable therewith, fingers upon the collating table to detain a record-sheet upon the platen when the pressure-rolls are removed, and a gage upon the collating table for adjusting a work-sheet thereon with respect to said record-sheet.

18. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a platen-frame and a revoluble platen, of a paper-apron and pressure-rolls at the bottom of the platen, a

zontally to the apron, a carriage including said frame and table, a rail for the carriage beneath the table, said platen being shift-- able relatively to said carriage and away from said pressure-rolls, a collating table above the platen and shiftable there-with, fingers upon the collating table to detain a record-sheet upon the platen when the pressure-rolls are removed, and a gage upon the collating table for adjusting a work-sheet thereon with respect to said record-sheet, said collating table being ruled at intervals with lines to serve for aligning said worksheet.

19. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a platen-frame and a revolu-ble platen, of a paper-apron and pressure-rolls at thebottomgof the platen, apapertable guiding work-sheets nearly horizontally to the apron, a carriage including said frame and table, a rail for the carriage beneath the table,- said platen being shiftable relatively to said carriage and away from said pressure-rolls, a collating table mounted above the platen and shiftable therewith,

V gages adjustable upon the collating table,

and fingers upon said gages adapted to detain a record-sheet upon the platen when the pressure-rolls are removed while a bill is adjusted to the gages relatively to the record-sheet.

20. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a platen-frame and a revoluble platen, of a paper-apron at the bottom of the platen, a paper-table guiding work-sheets nearly horizontally to the apron, a carriage including said frame and table, a rail for. the carriage beneath the tabackwardly, a collating table above the platen, and extensions of said arms on which said table is carried.

21. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a platen-frame and a revoluble platen, of a paper-apron at the bottom of the platen, a paper-table guiding work-sheets nearly horizontally to the apron, a carriage including said frame and table, a. rail for the carriage beneath the table, an axle for the platen passing through guide-slots in the ends of the frame, swinging-arms pivoted in said frame in which the axle is journaled, a shaft for swinging said arms simultaneously to carry the platen backwardly, a collating table above the platen, fingers upon the collating table to bear upon the platen to hold a record-sheet thereon beneath the collating table, and extensions of said arms on which said collating table is carried.

ALFRED G. F. KUROWSKI.

VVi-tnesses EDITH B. LIBBEY, JENNIE P. THORNE. 

